Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Calisto’

ABSTRACT

A  chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Calisto’ characterized by its medium sized blooms with pink ray florets and prolific branching; natural season flower date August 9-16 (week 33); blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘Calisto’ is a product of a breeding and selection program for outdoor pot mums (garden mums) which had the objective of creating new chrysanthemum cultivars with a decorative type flower, a natural season flower date around August 9-16 (week 33); blooming for a period of 5 weeks. The new plant of the present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant ‘Calisto’ is a seedling resulting from a crossing program, which was set up by a previous breeder, and which records are unknown to the inventor. The new and distinct cultivar was discovered and selected as a flowering plant by Mark Roland Boeder on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout, Holland in 2001. The first act of asexual production of ‘Calisto’ was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were taken from the initial selection in 2001 in a controlled environment in Rijsenhout, Holland, and propagated at this location. The new cultivar has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum is shown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true as possible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom of the cultivar.

FIG. 3 shows the foliage of the new cultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of chrysanthemum is of the botanical classification Chrysanthemum morifolium L. The observations and measurements were gathered from plants grown out door in Rijsenhout, Holland under natural day length and temperature and planted week 24 in 2004. The natural blooming date of this crop was August 9-6 (week 33). The average height of the plants was 30 cm. No growth retardants were used. No tests were done on disease or insect resistance or susceptibility. No tests were done on cold or drought tolerance. This new variety produces medium sized blooms with pink ray florets and a purple center blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivar in comparison to ‘Calisto’ is ‘Ida’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,700). When ‘Ida’ and ‘Calisto’ are being compared the following similarities and differences are noticed. Both varieties have decorative blooms with pink flowers and a purple center. The differences of ‘Ida’ and ‘Calisto’ are (1) Size of the blooms. The blooms of ‘Ida’ are smaller than those of ‘Calisto’. (2) Color center of the blooms. The center of ‘Ida’ is more dark purple than that of ‘Calisto’.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics that distinguish ‘Calisto’ as a new and distinct variety. The color designations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, any discrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted in the photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart used in this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, edition 1995.

TABLE 1 Botanical Description of chrysanthemum plant ‘CALISTO’ Bud Size Small; cross-section 0.5 cm, height 0.7 cm Outside Color Green 138C Involucral bracts 2 rows, length 7 mm, width 3 mm Involucral bracts among disc- Not present florets Involucral bracts color Green 138B Bloom Type Decorative Height 2 cm Size Medium Fully Expanded 5 cm Peduncle length 6-7 cm Peduncle color Green 139C Number of blooms per branch Approx. 7 blooms per branch Performance on the plant 5 weeks Seeds Produced in small quantities, ovate grey-brown 199A, 1½ mm in length. Fragrance Typical chrysanthemum, slightly Color Center of the flower Immature Red-purple 70B Mature Yellow 13A Color of upper surface of the ray- Greyed-purple 186C to Purple 75C florets Color of the lower surface of the Purple-violet 81D to Purple 75C ray-florets Tonality from Distance A garden mum with pink flowers and a purple disc Discoloration to color Purple 75D Ray florets Texture Upper and under side smooth Number 160-180 Cross-section Flat Longitudinal axis of majority Straight Length of corolla tube 0.6-0.8 cm Ray-floret margin Entire Ray-floret length 2 cm Ray-floret width 0.5 cm Ratio length/width High Shape of tip Rounded Disc florets Disc diameter 0.5 cm Distribution of disc florets Few, only visible in mature stage Shape Tubular Color Yellow 11D Receptacle shape Domed raised Reproductive Organs Stamen present in disc florets only Stamen color Yellow-green 144A Pollen Present Pollen color Yellow 7A Styles Thin Style color Yellow 13A Style Length 3 mm Stigma color Yellow-green 144A Stigma Width 1 mm Ovaries Enclosed in calyx Plant Form Grown as a spray type potmum, outdoor mounded and round Growth habit Spherical shape Growth rate High Height 30 cm Width 35 cm Stem Color Yellow-green 148B with streaks of Greyed-purple 183D Stem Strength Weak Stem Brittleness Brittle Stem Anthocyanin Coloration Present Internode length 2-3 cm Length of lateral branch From top to bottom 15-17 cm Lateral branch color Yellow-green 147B Lateral branch, attachment Medium Branching (average number of Good with 8-9 breaks after pinching lateral branches) Natural season blooming date August 9-16 Foliage Leaf color Upper side Green 137B Lower side Yellow-green 148C Color midvein Upper side Yellow-green 148D Lower side Yellow-green 148B Size Small; length 3-5 cm, width 2-3 cm Quantity (number per lateral 25 branch) Shape Obovate-elliptic Texture upper side Glabrous Texture under side Pubescent Venation arrangement Palmate Shape of the margin Serrated Shape of Base of Sinus Between Rounded Lateral Lobes Margin of Sinus Between Lateral Diverging Lobes Shape of Base Acute-obtuse Apex Mucronulate Petiole length 0.5-1.5 cm Petiole color Yellow-green 148D

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison varieties ‘Calisto’ ‘Ida’ Bloom type Decorative Decorative Size of bloom 5 cm 2.5 cm Color upper side ray-florets Greyed-purple 186C to Purple 75D Purple 75C Color center of immature Red-purple 70B Red-purple 71A bloom 

1. A new and distinct variety of chrysanthemum plant as described and illustrated. 